La Famiglia
by candygood1
Summary: "I gave her the name Xara because she is the princess who will become the tenth Vongola Boss. " Her family started out small but soon it grew much larger. Picked up from the streets by Timoteo while fully knowing she could never be his heir things turn out much differently than they would have elsewhere. AU! [Fem!Xanxus] Pairings Undecided.
1. Prologue

**La Famiglia**

 **A/N A short preview of what I had in mind for this fic. This is only something I'm editing to try and help get my writing style back to the way it was. Might rewrite it later on if I have the time. (If you want more information on why I'm doing this check out my profile.)**

 **Prologue**

Elma. That was the name her mother originally gave her. It was about a month after her birth, while wandering aimlessly through the streets near 'La Sirena di Venere', that the woman came to her senses enough to finally name her.

Back then the woman had been one of the many prostitutes of 'La Sirena di Venere', a popular brothel that was mockingly known as a 'service motel' by the nearby residents. She hadn't been well liked but had made enough in the sense she could keep a few coins worth of pocket change in her purse for emergencies.

That pocket change became almost nonexistent after Elma's birth. Because she had no friends within the brothel after Elma had been born, the woman had left her with Fina, the whorehouse's owner, on nights she had had customers. Whilst Fina only took the time to feed and change Elma she deducting a fair few bills from the woman's pay in exchange.

When the cost became too much the woman packed up her few belongings and headed out to the streets.

A fool she was. It only took a week for the money to run out. But still, the woman stubbornly refused to go back and endured. She was fortunate Elma was a quiet baby. Otherwise, they might not have had their relatively peaceful days in the alleyways.

By some miracle, they both managed to survive for quite some time. To someone who had become accustomed to silk sheets and glittering accessories, the streets should have been nothing less than hell. But surprisingly the woman adapted well as did Elma who would grow to know nothing more.

Once Elma could toddle well enough, the woman allowed her to explore the roads while she picked up customers. With her newfound freedom, Elma wiggled her way through dog holes, peeked into shop windows and swiped discarded food scraps from the market floors. She only had until sundown to return to where the woman was waiting so she made the most of what little time she had.

She came to know the other beggars nearby while exploring. In exchange for whatever she had found that day a few would be willing to teach her a few of their tricks.

There was one elderly beggar she had gotten to know who taught her how to read and write. Her mother was illiterate so she counted herself lucky that he was willing to teach her for a few scraps of food a day.

But not everyone on the streets was like the elderly beggar. They neither had the skills or patience to deal with a random street rat. Most of the time, Elma had to make a run for it if she didn't want to lose her scraps.

It was during one of those days that she met a fellow street rat. There turned out to be a small group of them who huddled together to survive. They were more willing to share their tricks than the adults.

For scraps and her well worn out shoes, they taught her all of what they knew. Like roots to go to when avoiding the police, ways to pick a lock with only a blunt needle and how to pickpocket without getting caught. They even let her practice with them until she was good enough on her own.

Through spring to autumn Elma would be able to help her mother like this somehow but in winter she had no way.

The cold was too much for her and pickpocketing was almost impossible when her targets had their hands firmly in their pockets. By then even the number of her mother's customers would decrease as well, leaving them with barely anything.

With no money for matches or even food, she and her mother spent hours huddled up to conserve what little body heat they had.

During those harsh winters, Elma wanted nothing more than a steady source of heat. She just wanted something to make the shivering go away…

For years she and her mother had to endure the freezing cold, coming close to death at times when the snow piled up for days. It was during a particularly snowy winter when a spark of orange appeared from her hands. The warmth of the flame slowly spread across her palms and over the tips of her fingers until finally consuming the whole of her hands.

In excitement, Elma showed it to her mother in hopes of warming her. Her mother smiled so happily once she saw her flames. She told her all sorts of lies. Lies Elma knew were false hopes and delusions.

But still, she didn't say anything. Because a side of her also hoped that some part of her mother's ramblings were true. That she had a father. That she had a home beside the streets.

Her name was suddenly changed from Elma to Xara. A small factor that she forgot relatively quickly as her mother showered her with the affection she never knew. She treasured every moment of her dear mamma's affections. The hugs, kisses, and warmth she gave so freely now.

A few days later a man with greying hair came looking for her. Her mother made her show him her flames. He looked surprised but other than that he looked at her kindly.

 _"_ _I gave her the name Xara because she is the princess who will become the tenth Vongola Boss. "_

Once the flames were gone the cold seeped back in. He noticed her shivers and wrapped his scarf around her neck. The scarf he gave her was warm as was the hand that lead her away from her mother.

"What about mamma?" She asked tugging on his sleeves to try and get him to turn around.

He doesn't and only says that 'mamma' couldn't come with them.

Elma turned around to try and call out to her mother but the woman only waved at her with a smile. One that embedded itself in her memories forever.


	2. Chapter One Xara di Vongola

**La Famiglia**

 **A/N Thank you for the long wait and sorry it too so long. I wasn't really planning to update another chapter but after see so many people enjoying it I fixed up a new chapter. I hope you all enjoy this and I'll see you soon.**

 **Chapter One**

 **Xara di Vongola**

'Papà' is what the man asks her to call him. He says this in the same tone as when he acknowledged her as his daughter. The word rolls unfamiliarly around her tongue but it's just something she has to get used to.

Though Xara could have walked, her father insists on carrying her. He carries her all the way out the alleyways into the open streets where a group of men in black are waiting for them. The men all treat her with a measure of courtesy. One of them opens the door to a car and her papà slides her in before him.

Never having been in a car before, Xara finds the whole thing fascinating. She pokes at the squishy seats beneath her and frequently asks about small details she finds. Her papà seems to find this endearing to an extent as he attentively answered each and every one of her questions.

By the time Xara runs out of questions to ask they arrive at where ever it is her papà has decided to take her. She looks out the window curiously and tilts her head as she sees the old mansion that stands just a few feet away. Her papà chuckles at her reaction.

"That is where you will be staying from now on piccola. It is your new home."

"Do I have to live alone?"

"No. You will have me, your brothers and grandmother there as well."

"Oh. Okay."

Again, her papà chuckles at her reaction. The car door opens and he steps out before ushering her into his arms. Feeling a little too old to be carried around everywhere Xara tugs at her papà's sleeves and asks to be put down but he doesn't.

"Now, now piccola. Don't ruin papà's fun. Soon you'll be too old for papà to hold anymore. Papà has to enjoy this while he can."

Xara doesn't understand what her papà means by this but chooses to just nod silently.

Her papà takes her inside the mansion where rows of people greet them loudly. Xara doesn't know how to react so she just leans a little more towards her papà.

However, to her horror, he tries to hand her over to one of the strangers. Feeling a little betrayed she stares at him blankly to which she only receives a chuckle and a hair ruffle in return.

"Do not worry piccola. They are Vongola's people. They will not harm you. It is late and you are tired from the journey, no? They will help you wash and tuck you into bed after a few bites to eat. I will see you tomorrow and introduce you to the rest of the family. Be good alright?"

Xara still felt a little betrayed but nonetheless nodded to his words and accepted the pat on the cheek he gives before saying goodbye.

The people she is left with are not as bad as she thought they were. Like her papà they answer each and every one of the many questions she has about Vongola even though they are busy helping her bathe.

One of them, a woman named Jai, notices how the strong scented soaps make her eyes water. She takes them away and comes back with milder scented ones which Xara is fairly grateful for.

It takes quite a while to clean Xara of the dirt and grease covering her body. By the time they finish her head is drooping. The women giggle at her sleepy form and decide to just let her sleep after dressing her in a small nightgown.

She dozes off as soon as her head touches the overly soft pillows and for once she sleeps through the night, not once having to wake up from the freezing wind biting her cheeks.

* * *

The next morning Jai and the others come to wake her up. She is still in a daze as they ready her for breakfast with the 'family'. While picking out an outfit from the vast choices of clothes she's suddenly gained seems like no easy feat, the maids were all too willing to go through the torture.

In the end they take out a simple navy shirt and while blouse. They move onto styling her hair next which ends up being an even more difficult task as her hair is an uneven mess. Jai eventually manages to hide her uneven strands in a loose ponytail.

"We'll have to even it out a bit after breakfast, little miss. But for now, let's not keep the master waiting."

With that Jai scoops her up in her arms and heads to her papà's office. There are a few others in the office besides papà but Xara ignores this as he welcomes her warmly and waves Jai out of the room.

"Did you sleep well piccola?"

"Yes. Did papà also sleep well?"

"Yes. Papà did as well."

He pats her gently on the cheek before picking her up in his arms and taking her over to the three others who were standing not far from where they'd been standing. He introduces them as her older brothers; Enrico, Federico and Massimo.

Xara takes a moment to observe her new family. All of them have the same dark coloured hair and skin tone but only she had different colour eyes. She was in the middle of wondering why when one of her brothers walks over to greet her.

For this their papà lets her down and Federico has to crouch down to get a closer look at her. While his smile makes her think of the child smugglers, she had to run from daily she knows not to say it to his face.

"So, you're my little sister. I wonder if you're as much as a bitch as your mother."

"FEDERICO!"

Xara flinches at the way her papà raises his voice at Federico. While she is quite immune to any insults being thrown at her from her life on the streets it seems her papà thinks otherwise. As the two argue she looks to the other two who glare back at her.

Knowing she probably won't get along with them she decides to distract herself by talking to the old woman her papà had yet to introduce her to. She suspects she is her grandmother and is first to ask if this is true.

"You are a smart one, aren't you?" is all Xara hears as two wrinkled but strong arms wrap around her torso before lifting her up from the wooden floorings. The old woman she now knows to be her nonna proceeds to place her on top of her lap and asks to see her flame. Xara tilts her head as if confused.

She doesn't know why she has to show her nonna her flames when it wasn't even cold inside. But even though she wants to question her nonna, a part of Xara instinctively tells her not to. Because of this Xara says nothing and complies to nonna's wishes by producing a familiar orange flame.

Her nonna laughs as she sees Xara's flames. The whole room suddenly stops to a halt at her laugh and all eyes fixate themselves to the flames of their newest _family_ member.

Her brothers are all left speechless whilst her papà simply looks conflicted. Her nonna on the other hand looks as if her birthday had come early. Her hazel eyes sparkle with joy as she leans forward to take a closer look at Xara's flames.

* * *

Xara is taken away by her nonna shortly after and is cared primarily by the older Italian. She is the only one besides her papà and his guardians that shows her any sort of affection. Others are either quick to ignore her entire existence or too busy currying favours with her brothers. Many don't see the need to waste their efforts on a bastard daughter like her.

Xara doesn't mind though. She is used to less and instead of sulking at the lack of attention she receives from others, she chooses to savour every moment she can share with her papà and nonna.

Papà is too busy to visit her often and when he does it is only a few minutes before he has to once disappear to his study. Nonna isn't happy about this. Xara sees it in the elder woman's flames when she is teaching her to use her flames. They flicker more violently and admit more sparks than usual.

She doesn't know what exactly it is her nonna says but almost three months after her arrival her papà decides to take her out on a small trip. It is only a short outing to the nearby markets but Xara couldn't be happier.

Xara is a little sad when they have to leave. Just before they head back to the mansion, they stop at a small jewellery store that her papà insists they go to. Xara isn't very interested in the shiny metals at first but a few steps later she is glued to a particular piece behind the glass.

It is a small star ruby necklace with a single silver leaf dangling next to it. It isn't as fancy as the ones her nonna wears or even as expensive as the ones she has seen her mamma sell for mere coins when she was younger. But it is the only one that catches her eye and knowing this her papà is quick to purchase it.

The cold silver is carefully placed around her neck by his gloved hands. Xara smiles up at him and says her thanks by placing a small kiss to his cheek. She then shyly runs to his feet and hides her blushing cheeks into his long jacket. He chuckles at her antics and ruffles her wild black locks before picking her up and taking her out of the shop.

 _"Grazie,_ _papà."_

 _"Anything for my piccola."_


End file.
